TCK author Ann Liang grew up between China and Australia and draws on her own childhood experiences to write “If You Could See the Sun,” a fun YA romance novel set in Beijing. The book is about Alice, a Chinese/ American scholarship student at an elite Beijing boarding school. Surrounded by wealthy students, Alice is focused on her grades and set on beating her academic rival Henry. Then suddenly Alice goes from unpopular nobody to actually invisible. She can’t control when she turns invisible but still decides to use her powers for something useful and starts a lucrative side-business. As the jobs she takes become higher and higher stakes, she has to decide what she can justify for the sake of income.
It’s definitely a fun read, and I loved the chemistry between the academic rivals. The ending was a bit morally questionable and there is a good amount of swearing, so if you’re put off by that take note. No sex scenes, just a kiss. I’d recommend this book for high schoolers or older, though some middle schoolers would enjoy it as well.
This isn’t written as a “TCK book” but instead marketed to a wider audience. I enjoyed the international school context and seeing some reflections from the main character on being bi-cultural and the way moving countries affected her. The TCK themes are more subtle since the focus is on the characters and the plot. This book actually came to my attention in a list of other YA fiction since it’s a genre I enjoy reading for fun, and I noticed that the main character happened to be a TCK!
This book explores what life is like as a TCK who has left their family of origin and is now on their own, still in the process of “adulting.” The challenges they face can be significantly different than those of Adult TCKs, and it is important for them and those in their lives to be able to address them appropriately.
While it doesn’t replace the classic Pollock and Van Reken TCK book, its narrower focus will help you understand the specific needs of Third Culture Teens. It’s very readable, including some of the author’s own personal experiences, but it also draws from important literature on TCKs.
The following sections are included:
- Third Culture Kid & The Third Culture Teen
- The Issues We Face
- The Life We Are Living
- The Life We Will Live
- Conclusion & Additional Resources
Benito hat eine Riesenreise hinter sich: Vier Jahre lang haben seine Eltern in Jerusalem gearbeitet – eine aufregende Zeit für den kleinen Weltenbummler und seine Geschwister.
Natürlich hat er auch einen dicken Reisekoffer voller Erinnerungen mitgebracht. Einen Teil seiner spannenden, lustigen, ernsten und absolut lehrreichen Geschichten hat seine Mutter schon in dem Buch “Reise nach Jerusalem” niedergeschrieben. Doch nun ist Benito bereits 12 Jahre, viele Souvenirs hat er noch gar nicht ausgepackt und er kann manche Erlebnisse ganz anders einordnen und beschreiben. Von der internationalen Schule, an der fast täglich ein Fest steigt, bis zu den verschiedenen Haustierchen, die man am besten mit Schnapsflaschen jagt – das Leben in Israel gleicht dem kunterbunten Basar in Jerusalem. Es lohnt sich, hineinzutauchen in dieses Gewimmel der unterschiedlichsten Kulturen, Religionen und Völker.
Four years ago, Benito returned from his huge journey: his parents worked in Jerusalem for four years – an exciting time for the little globetrotter and his siblings.
Of course, he also brought a thick suitcase full of memories. His mother wrote down some of his exciting, funny, serious and absolutely instructive stories in the book “Reise nach Jerusalem”. But now Benito is 12 years old, and he can view and describe some experiences differently. From the international school, which has a festival almost every day, to the various pets that are best trapped with liquor bottles – life in Israel is like the colorful bazaar in Jerusalem. It is worth diving into this swarm of different cultures, religions and peoples.
THIS BOOK IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN GERMAN
Ob in der Auslands-Niederlassung einer Firma, einer Missionsstation oder einer diplomatischen Vertretung – jährlich steigt die Zahl der Kinder, die in unterschiedlichen Kulturkreisen aufwachsen. Authentisch und sorgfältig recherchiert beschreibt dieses Buch, was das Leben dieser sogenannten ‘Third Culture Kids’ ausmacht, welchen besonderen Problemen sie begegnen und welche speziellen Chancen sich ihnen eröffnen. Denn unmittelbarer als ihre Altersgenossen lernen diese Kinder sowohl die Freuden des Entdeckens als auch die Erfahrungen schmerzhaften Verlustes kennen. Es gelten andere Gesetze für ihren Reifungsprozess, sie gehen andere Wege auf der Suche nach ihrer Identität und sie sind herausgefordert, jenseits aller Ortswechsel eine Heimat zu finden. In Interviews, Gedichten und Berichten lassen Pollock und Van Reken die TCKs zu Wort kommen. Aus ihren Zeugnissen arbeiten sie die charakterlichen und emotionalen Grundstrukturen heraus, die Kinder mit diesem Hintergrund in der Mehrzahl entwickeln.
This is the German edition of THIRD CULTURE KIDS by David Pollock & Ruth Van Reken
Jesse vindt het helemaal niet leuk om te verhuizen naar Boma, een dorpje in het binnenland van Papoea. Maar zijn vader gaat er werken, en dus moet hij wel mee. Gelukkig wordt hij goed opgevangen door Rafaël, die er al jaren woont, en die samen met zijn Papoeavrienden een jungleclub heeft opgericht. Jesse mag ook lid worden. Maar niet meteen, natuurlijk. Hij moet eerst een overleven-in-de-jungle cursus volgen. En allerlei moeilijke opdrachten uitvoeren om te bewijzen dat hij moed heeft …
De overleven-in-de-jungle cursus: een spannend, stoer en grappig boek, dat kinderen zelf laat beleven hoe het is om in het oerwoud van Papoea te wonen.
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Jesse does not want to move to Boma, a village in the interior of Papua. But his father is going to work there, so he has to come along. Fortunately, he is well received by Rafaël, who has lived there for years, and who founded a jungle club with his Papuan friends. Jesse can become a member, but first he must take take a jungle survival course and complete all kinds of difficult assignments to prove that he has courage …
An exciting, cool and funny book that lets children experience what it is like to live in the jungle of Papua.
THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN DUTCH.
Drie dagboeken van Sasha Lasonder nu bij elkaar in één band! De Sasha-trilogie bevat de titels: De vreselijke verhuizing, Zoenen met een beugel en Chaos in mijn hoofd.
Met de nietsontziende eerlijkheid van een puber vertelt Sasha alles over haar irritante drielingbroers Sam en Nick; over haar vader en moeder die hen tegen hun wil naar Jakarta ontvoeren, haar gekke, rijke expatvriendinnen en haar Indonesische tandarts die haar een petjesbeugel aansmeert zodat ze lelijker wordt dan ooit.
Tijdens een lang verblijf in Nederland moet Sasha wennen aan een nieuwe school, waar ze met haar beugel wordt gepest. En ze wordt tegen wil en dank verliefd op die ene leuke jongen op wie alle meiden vallen, en bij wie ze geen schijn van kans lijkt te hebben …
Corien Oranje woont in Jakarta, waar haar vier zoons op een internationale school zitten. Ze schrijft kinderboeken voor diverse leeftijden en won met haar voorleesboek Storm in bad de vakjuryprijs ‘Het Hoogste Woord 2007’.
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Three diaries of Sasha Lasonder in one volume! The Sasha Trilogy includes: The Terrible Move, Kissing with Braces and Chaos in My Head.
With the ruthless honesty of an adolescent, Sasha tells all about her annoying triplet brothers Sam and Nick; about her father and mother who drag them to Jakarta against their will, her crazy, rich expat friends and her Indonesian dentist who gives her a hat so that she is uglier than ever.
During a long stay in the Netherlands, Sasha has to get used to a new school, where she is bullied because of her braces. And she reluctantly falls in love with that one nice boy who all the girls fall for, and with whom she doesn’t seem to have a chance …
Corien Oranje lives in Jakarta, where her four sons attend an international school. She writes children’s books for various ages.
THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN DUTCH.
